The present invention relates to a coated high-boiled confection with a reduced surface stickiness and a process for its preparation.
High-boiled sweets have a hard texture, a glassy appearance, and are usually produced from a sugar and glucose syrup base with a wide range of additives to give a pleasing taste. Examples of high-boiled sweets include lollipops, rock (lettered), glacier mints, medicated confectioneries, and the like. A disadvantage of such products is that they are generally highly hygroscopic and readily pick up moisture causing them to stick to wrappers, hands, surfaces, and to one another, all of which is inconvenient to the consumer.
Previous attempts to overcome these problems have involved the use of powdered anti-stick agents such as alpha-lactose, beta-lactose, calcium carbonate, titanium dioxide, talc, and the like that has been coated with solid monoglycerides of a saturated fatty acid having 12 to 18 carbon atoms and mono- or di-acetylation products thereof. For example, monostearo-monoacetyl glyceride or monolauro-diacetylglyceride in amounts of from 2 to 5% or more by weight based on the weight of the anti-stick agent has been used. U.S. Pat. No. 4,208,432 describes such anti-stick agents and states that they can prevent sticking for two weeks at 35xc2x0 C. and at a relative humidity of 80%. There is, however, a need for improved methods for reducing the stickiness of high-boiled confections.
The invention relates to a coated high-boiled confection comprising a high-boiled confection and a coating comprising a solid fat or fat derivative having a melting point of about 25xc2x0 C. to 65xc2x0 C. applied directly to the high-boiled confection.
The solid fat or fat derivative may be one or more of an acetoglyceride, cocoa butter, a wax preparation, a refined, or a fractionated fat In one embodiment the solid fat or fat derivative is an acetoglyceride and may be a palm-based acetoglyceride. The solid fat or fat derivative also may be cocoa butter.
The amount of coating may be from about 0.01 to 0.1 percent by weight based on the weight of the coated high-boiled confection. The coating may further include an emulsifier. The emulsifier may be a solid monoglyceride of a saturated fatty acid having 12 to 18 carbon atoms such as glyceryl monostearate.
The invention further relates to a method of coating a high-boiled confection. The method involves the steps of providing a high-boiled confection, applying a solid fat or fat derivative having a melting point of about 25xc2x0 C. to 65xc2x0 C. that has been melted directly to the surface of the high-boiled confection, and cooling the melted solid fat or fat derivative to solidify the solid fat or fat derivative on the high-boiled confection to provide a coated high-boiled confection. The coating may be applied by spraying or with a brush coater or it may be applied by spraying followed by brush coating. The method may include the additional step of finishing the coating with warn air using a step drum to provide a homogenous coating.
We have found that by using a coating comprising a solid fat or fat derivative having a melting point of from 25xc2x0 C. to 65xc2x0 C., the coating may be used in amounts more than 20 times less than previously used, and may be transparent and tasteless while still providing coated high-boiled confections which have substantially reduced stickiness compared with non-coated high-boiled confections.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a coated high-boiled confection characterized in that the coating comprises a solid fat or fat derivative having a melting point of from 25xc2x0 C. to 65xc2x0 C. that is applied directly to the surface of the high-boiled confection. The high-boiled confection of the invention is unlike prior high-boiled confections in that the fat or fat derivative is applied directly to the surface of the high-boiled confection. In contrast, prior art high-boiled confections are coated with a powdered anti-stick agent that has been coated with solid monoglycerides of a saturated fatty acid having 12 to 18 carbon atoms and mono- or di-acetylation products thereof.
The term xe2x80x9cfat derivativexe2x80x9d as used herein means a chemically modified fat. Chemically modified fats are fats that have had their chemical structure altered or modified by various processes including, but not limited to, hydrogenation, inter-esterification, and re-esterification.
The solid fat or fat derivative used in the coating may be, for instance, an acetoglyceride, cocoa butter, a wax preparation, or a refined or fractionated fat. The acetoglyceride may be from any suitable source such as soy, but is preferably an oil palm-based acetoglyceride.
The term xe2x80x9cacetoglyceride,xe2x80x9d as used herein means a monoglyceride that has been acetylated with acetic acid or a derivative of acetic acid.
The melting point of the fat derivative is preferably from about 27.5xc2x0 C. to 45xc2x0 C. and more preferably from about 30xc2x0 C. to 40xc2x0 C.
The amount of coating may be from about 0.01 to 0.1% by weight, preferably from about 0.015 to 0.08% by weight, and more preferably from 0.02 to 0.04% by weight based on the weight of the coated high-boiled confection.
If desired, the coating may also be, or may contain, an emulsifier. For example, the emulsifier may be a solid monoglyceride of a saturated fatty acid having 12 to 18 carbon atoms, such as glyceryl monostearate. The emulsifier may be in combination with a fat in any proportion.
The present invention also provides a method of coating a high-boiled confection which comprises spreading the coating in melted form, or as a powder which is subsequently fused, over the surface of the high-boiled confection and cooling to solidify the coating. The solidification may be by crystallization.
The coating may conveniently be applied by spraying or by a brush coater. Alternatively, the coating may applied by spraying followed by brush coating. Once the coating has been applied to the surface of the high-boiled confection, preferably in the form of an even dispersion, further processing may be carried out to give a more homogeneous dispersion and a thinner layer, e.g. by using a step drum with warm air.
The coated high-boiled confections produced according to the present invention are less sticky, absorb less moisture and have less cold flow deformation when compared with uncoated high-boiled confections. Because of the reduced stickiness, they are more easily released from their wrappers. In addition, they have an increased resistance to high temperature and humidity which enables them to be transported greater distances, and/or stored for longer times, e.g., up to about one year under tropical conditions while remaining in a good state. The requirements of the wrapper are reduced by virtue of the coating providing a less sticky product which leads to cost savings. In some cases, the wrapper may be completely dispensed with.